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A brief update: One interview video will be uploaded tomorrow evening. I believe the BBC News One-Minute World News provides well-balanced reporting of news, hence why I wanted to share it. Top stories on May

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When you first meet Oluwagbeminiyi Osidipe, you encounter a very vibrant, friendly, and unique personality. Oluwagbeminiyi or Niyi – as she shortened her name for simplicity – was named by her mother, who had a “very personal experience” when she had her, Niyi explained.
Niyi is a Yoruba Nigerian transplant who arrived in the U.S. in 2006. As one of the most densely populated (West) African countries, Nigeria derives its name from the river that spans its land. To the South, it borders the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean. Originally colonized by the British, Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Its main ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, who speak English and their own respective languages, while major religions include Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs.
Niyi shares her story, her views on politics, cultural differences she’s embraced with humor, and what we can learn from each other by expressing curiosity. Her message is simple: travel enriches us through its exposure to new cultures, and enables us to grow.

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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (American author Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad).

Have you had the opportunity to travel (extensively, within your country, or even once abroad)? Can you relate to Twain’s sentiments? How does travel enrich us?

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Food has the wonderful quality of uniting us no matter where we are. There is nothing partisan or narrow-minded about food. It simply invites us to indulge, create recipes, and share with others. Two of my favorite Polish dishes (included in collage) are pierogies and barszcz czerwony – a beetroot soup – served on Christmas Eve in Poland.
How does food bring us together? What are some of your favorite dishes and why? Can food trigger memories?

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DEFINING STEREOTYPES: “An idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation.” (Merriam-Webster). Stereotypes enable bias and preconceived notions to perpetuate, but can also reveal valid

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“The world changed immeasurably over the course of 2011. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and far beyond, citizens stood up to demand respect for human dignity, more promising economic opportunities, greater political liberties, and

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Brief Crisis Breakdown Since the onset of the global financial crisis, or Great Recession, in 2007, the Eurozone has feared impending growing global debt levels, as well as sovereign debt within European countries themselves. In

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Today marks the 23rd anniversary of Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in Beijing, China. Inflation, a lack of career prospects, the fall of Eastern European communism, and political corruption, are all said to have fueled anger

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A cup of coffee can bridge cultural gaps. At least, that’s what Gizem Salgicil White, founder of Turkayfe.org, believes. Her organization aims to create awareness of Turkish culture, particularly within America. Gizem is a Turkish native,

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Travel has been an integral part of my life since I was a young child. I grew up in a multicultural, bilingual home in the Netherlands with a Polish mother and a Dutch father. My mom jokingly referred to me as a “product of a European Union,” and though it was meant in jest, I find it to be an accurate description. Europe’s geographical composition and short distances allow for easy travel, and for most Europeans, travel is a way of life. Vivid memories of changing landscapes come to mind of the extensive road trips my Polish grandpa and I undertook to-and-from Holland. The smell of my grandma’s homemade chicken noodle soup and her warm smile always greeted us, and I felt elated to be at my “home away from home.” Polish was never a “second language,” it was ingrained in me.

Our family has explored the Scottish Highlands and London landmarks. We’ve ventured through the City of Love (Paris) and stayed with friends in the French countryside. Italy and Spain welcomed us with their authentic cuisines, rich histories, and friendly atmospheres. Egypt’s ancient civilizations drew us inside the pyramids, and the unforgettable, unique experience of visiting a Mosque ceremony opened my eyes to the major role Islam plays in the country.When I was 11, my father announced his company requested that we move overseas. At first, the choice was between Japan and the U.S. Given my dad’s allergy to fish (and the prevalence of it in Asian cuisine), and our ability to already speak English, the decision was simple. We began preparations for our move to America for the summer of 2000. Middle school friends urged me to share my first impressions, though a few had their own ideas of what America would be like: a heavily-influenced sports culture, burgers & fries, rock ‘n roll, and the “land of opportunity.” In some ways, their assumptions were right, but there is so much more to it than that.

America is a “multicultural melting pot” of many immigrants aspiring to live the “American Dream” – the notion of attaining success through hard work and opportunity. American history emphasizes the plight of immigrants seeking better lives, and how receptive the country was to immigration. Americans pride themselves on their ancestry and identify strongly with their cultural backgrounds. But there’s something to be said about American “education” on immigration, which feels a bit lackluster at times. While a country of great opportunities, it can still strengthen and deepen its understanding of other cultures. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “”No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.”

Every country has its own interesting cultural footprint. Travel encourages such open-mindedness. It allows us to experience new cultures – sometimes similar, or not at all familiar to our own. Through it, we observe traditions, experience history, taste new cuisines, take in art forms, and appreciate alternative perceptions of life. Our world population has reached over 7 billion people. There are theories that all of us are interconnected through “six degrees of separation.”

My enthusiasm for travel, a keen interest in news, and connectedness with diverse people have translated into a true passion for journalism. To me, journalism reflects balanced storytelling. It digs for truths, reveals emotions, and allows us to share perceptions. It creates a dialogue.

Through a series of interviews with expats in this blog, I’ll be looking at cultural assimilation through the adoption of new cultural experiences, and how these can shape identity. I hope to share life-changing stories and lessons learned from immersion in foreign cultures. I’ll strive to highlight what makes their culture unique, but also examine what similarities bind us all in the human experience. How do we define our goals and life’s ambitions? How do we overcome obstacles and embrace cultural differences? Intercultural conversations should educate us, and break down barriers through honest and humorous observations.

If you want to share your story, or know someone who might, please contact me.